Well, you have already guessed from the heading what this is
all about. Yes, being a cricket fanatic like millions of others this question
has been gathering momentum in the cricosphere. For years we have been tagged
as flat track bullies: a label that has been borne out of our inability to play
well outside the sub-continent. Be it whitewash in England and Australia, a
recent series loss to South Africa or the debacle in New Zealand. The Indian
team’s performance in alien conditions has been abysmal to say the least. As a
consequence this team has been labeled by this derogatory title. The term Flat
track bullies, which basically means a team that can only play well in their
own flat, sub-continental pitches. Ok
fine……..now lets put this entire brouhaha into a new perspective. So what if we play well in our own
conditions? We are three time World champions: the only team to win a WC on
home soil!
So first of all no one has ever done this. No home team has
ever triumphed in a World Cup, apart from India that is.
Secondly, how many teams and players can boast remarkable
achievements outside home conditions? If we are called Flat track bullies then
why aren’t teams like Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and England called
Fast track bullies?? Teams which can only play well on their fast and green
pitches and succumb here in the subcontinent, which is - at present - the very
epicenter of cricket.
Perhaps, the best place to assess the situation is on a
popular cricket site called ESPNCRICINFO.com. Hundreds of followers across
nations comment, debate, fight and argue on this very active cricket site. I,
myself, am an active participant with a pseudo-name dganger (Dopple Ganger). Yeahh…I know I am a
retard.
Anyway…let me quote
few of the active participants. Here
goes:
“Posted by wapuser on (March 30, 2014, 16:36 GMT)
It might be Asian conditions. But so what? Australian
conditions are not some superior test of talent. Why should teams be declared
successful by doing well in Australia? If Aus losses can be put down to
irrelevant matches in the subcontinent then Asian teams can treat Aus matches
and losses the same way. Btw the future of cricket and it's financial centre
lies in Asia.
Or, let’s take this:
Posted by RahulWise on (March 30, 2014, 17:23 GMT)
For those who calls india as Flat track Bully, question.
When a player plays well in subcontinent and scores centuries, he is a flat
track player, but when a fast bowler bowls well in fast bowling condition, he
is a great bowler. Why? Why cant you call the bowler as fast track bully? Why
cant u call a team who does well in fast bowling conditions and flatters in
spin conditions as fast track bully??? Let espncricinfo publish the stats of
the teams and players in different conditions, i am certain 80% of the players
farewell in only one kind of conditions, this includes batsmen and bowlers from
all countries, present and past. No need to call just india as flat track
bullies !!
The first comment is from a very enthusiastic Pakistani fan
and the 2nd one is from an Indian. The fact is Asian supporters have slowly
started realizing this biased, flawed yardstick of judging a team or a player.
The fact is every home team plays well in their own conditions and falters in
alien conditions. So what is the big deal if India performs below par on fast
pitches? Remember how Australia got whitewashed 4-0 here in India few months
back? Or, does anybody know that even Bangladesh has made a clean sweep against
a proper test playing nation: New Zealand??? New Zealand was whitewashed by the
Bangladeshis! So?? Anybody labeling them Fast track bullies?? How often have
non-Asian teams succeeded here in the sub-continent? It’s not that it didn’t
happen. Recently, England won in India…but after how many years??? Similarly
India won the test series in England prior to the 4-0 whitewash.
Even Steve Waugh’s ‘invincibles’ could not win here in
India. A team considered arguably the greatest of all time. The fact is,
barring one or two tournaments the result is overwhelmingly in favour of the
home team.
So let’s not demean ourselves or any other Asian team by
labeling them “flat track bullies”. Whoever says this should introspect;
analyze their own team’s performance here in the sub-continent before judging
us. Let’s face it, cricket’s power and influence vests with the sub-continent.
Be it the passion or money, non-Asian teams can never match the enthusiasm and
love of the cricket follower here. Now onwards let’s call a non-Asian team good
only if they perform well here and beat us in our own backyard.
There is absolutely no harm playing to our strengths on our
home doctored pitches, so, the hue and cry over preparing fast and green
pitches here in India is just useless and stupid.
Let’s see how they adapt to the heat, dust and sweat ….let’s
separate the Men from the boys and shatter the stumps of false egos with our
spin.
Cheers
A Cricket Fanatic
No comments:
Post a Comment